A graphic organization of activities is very often used in business. From the Gantt, Fishbone, or Kanban diagrams, the various tools or IT platforms do that. What is often lacking in the business environment are the tools for organizing ideas used for easy planning, the articulation of a coherent strategy and the analysis of competition.
To meet this need for mental structure there is an instrument called the Mind Map. It avoids endless working sessions, toxic professional disputes, over-the-counter work, projects that consume a lot of time, energy and money.
The discovery of mind mapping originates in observing the techniques used by Leonardo da Vinci or Albert Einstein. The mind mapps are diagrams used to visualize information. With this tool, the information is hierarchized and organized, and the connections between the factors that make up the subject are clearly highlighted by connecting arrows.
Such a chart is built around a concept drawn in the center of a white page. Around the central concept are the ideas, represented visually in the form of images and/or key words, elaborated according to the individual thinking pattern of each person.
Why mind mapping? Because by using it:
- Several options /solutions can be explored creatively, built multidisciplinary teams, collected requirements
- Knowledge/expertise levels can be assessed, built adhesions for the same purpose, and get an overview of a challenge, situation, process
- Information, summaries, sketches, illustrations of concepts and data can be easily presented
- Roles can be delegated, evolved maps created, established budgets and priorities
- They can be used to develop strategic thinking and each member of the team as a leader
The human mind does not always work in a linear fashion. The easiest way to notice this is by observing the way we communicate. Conversations branching out, parentheses, analogies, associations, references are made. Using a mind map allows us to create a picture of how we talk and think.
Mind mapping can easily work as a collaborative tool during a management or brainstorming team meeting. Whether results are analyzed or simply important topics are negotiated, this tool provides an easy way to classify ideas and evaluate them. Some online mind mapping tools even offer the ability to embed notes, links, attachments, images, and even connect multiple mind maps to a single map.
Collecting requirements, negotiating ideas and turning them into business goals becomes easier with this tool. In business, mental maps help managers understand how ideas, content, concepts, and goals match together. At the same time, it provides a platform for prioritizing workflows or procedures that require more attention.
In project management, mind maps are useful to divide topics and tasks across different branches, adding sub-themes and smaller tasks. Then you can draw the links between the related tasks, you can see how different projects influence each other and how to prioritize certain stages. (You can see below an Annual Report as a mind map.)
Mind maps can help plan your work schedule, build a marketing plan, or set goals for the current year. They offer the perfect space for organizing and grouping information in a clear and coherent way. This tool brings together all the aspects in one place, from agendas and goals, to resources and locations, so that everything is organized.
For the first time in Romania, Tony Buzan will talk about this accelerated learning tool at the "Art of Mastering the Mental Map" event, which will take place at the Radio Hall in two sessions in English, the first from 10:00 and the first two at 15:30.Event participants will discover the potential that can be accessed by using Mental Maps, one of the most effective and easiest ways to accelerate learning for any age category.
